Queens Park Rangers' Brazilian keeper Julio Cesar, 33, is a shock target for Real Madrid after they lost Spanish international Iker Casillas for a month with a broken hand.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has identified France Under-19 defender Kurt Zouma as a summer transfer target. The 18-year-old could cost £8m from St Etienne.

Fulham have enquired about former Middlesbrough defender Emanuel Pogatetz, 31, at Wolfsburg. Wigan and Aston Villa have also been offered the Austrian.

Liverpool winger Stewart Downing, 28, has revealed how his recent run of good form was inspired by being told he could leave by manager Brendan Rodgers.

Midfielder Shaun Derry, 35, has accused some of his QPR team-mates of not working hard enough in their relegation battle.

Manchester City's new director football Txiki Begiristain wants to play a new 4-3-3 system next season and wants future signings to be tailored to it.

Swansea coach Alan Curtis, 58, insists ball boys have never been told to slow the game down in the wake of the Welsh side's League Cup semi-final victory over Chelsea. The game was marred by the sending off of Chelsea's Eden Hazard for kicking a ball boy.

A Bradford City fan in Melbourne, Australia has had a Facebook wager with his wife that, if he gets a million 'likes', he can go to the Capital One Cup final against Swansea City.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes, 38, has signed up for a 300-mile celebrity charity bike ride, which will take place at the same time as the Champions League final in May.